


These Scars We Bare

by merlinfrostE



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: As in Arthur can sense energies, Daemons, Ghost Lewis - Freeform, Witch Vivi, clairsentient Arthur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-06 12:24:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12817464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlinfrostE/pseuds/merlinfrostE
Summary: Before the cave, Zafirah has been happily settled in a small form that could sit curled around his neck. Before the cave, she had been shy and timid much like himself. Before the cave, they had been whole.After the cave, they are broken.Arthur is missing an arm and a friend and his soul is changed and different but he still loves her, He still loves her even if sometimes her bright golden eyes and long sharp teeth send a thrill of primal fear up his spine.Before the cave, Vivi and Pam had been so utterly and perfectly sure in themselves and where their place in the world was. Before the cave, Pam had helped her research spells and would curl up with Olesia while Vivi and Lewis shared soft gentle kisses. Before the cave, they had been happy and whole.After the cave, they feel like something is missing.Lewis misses a lot of things from when he was alive. He misses his family, he misses being able to eat and sleep, he misses the feeling of his heart being in his chest, he misses Vivi and her loving smile. But most of all, Lewis misses Olesia.





	1. Meetings

When they first meet Lewis they are eight years old, soon to be nine in a months time and they are being harassed by some boys who like to poke fun at how his eyes are a freaky colour (Bright gold), at how smart he is and how he lives with his uncle. Zira is trying to hide in his hair as a little field mouse and Arthur just wishes that they were anywhere but there. But then one of the bullies, the biggest and meanest one decided that he doesn’t just want to cause Arthur emotional pain with words, he wants Arthur to scream. His daemon, a rottweiler of frightening size, darts forward and snatches Zira from her hiding place before taking off after her human. Arthur doesn’t have time to scramble after them and Zira doesn’t have time to change before they are overcome with pain beyond anything they have ever felt before. 

Arthur thinks he might be screaming but he can’t be sure because he can no longer tell which way is up and for how long he’s been without Zira. It could have been seconds or it would have been years for all he knows. Arthur isn’t sure how long he sits like that lost in the pain but he does know when it stops because suddenly Zira is there as a little corgi and she is licking away his tears and pressing as close as she can to his chest, their hearts beating as one once more. 

“Are you alright?” Arthur jumps at the voice, golden eyes flicking up to see bright purple ones gazing back. He yelps, flinching back in fright because the boy standing before him is just so large and looks like he could snap Arthur in two without breaking a sweat. Arthur is about to jump up and run when suddenly Zira is wriggling free from his hold and looking up at the boy’s daemon who is a golden retriever and she is radiating gratitude and joy.

“Thank you for stopping those boys.” Arthur blinks in shock, looking up at his apparent rescuer who is blushing but has a serious expression upon his face. 

“We don’t like bullies at the best of times but what they were doing was just plain wrong.” He mutters and Arthur feels something inside him relax. This boy is a gentle giant and if Zira is comfortable enough to actually face him and his daemon instead of hiding then he must be okay.

“Thank you.” His voice comes out as a whisper, un-used to social interactions. The boy smiles though, holding a hand out to Arthur.

“No need for thanks. My name is Lewis and this is my Olesia.” He says and Arthur gives a small shy smile, shakily taking the offered hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

“A-Arthur and t-t-this is Zafirah b-but I call her Zira.” Arthur stutters out, shivering when the golden retriever, Olesia leans down and nuzzles Zira on the head. it’s a comforting feeling, one he’s only felt when his Uncle Lance’s Gwendolyn comforts Zira.

“I’ve see you around school before.” Lewis states. “I heard you're really smart.”

Arthur blushes bright red, turning his golden eyes to the ground and waiting to hear the jeering that normally follows such a statement. Zira wilts to, becoming a butterfly that flutters by his ear nervously. 

“Would you be able to help me with my math homework?” Arthur is shocked by this, blinking stupidly while Lewis smiles all the while, patient and kind.

“S-sure.” And that is how a friendship stronger than most is formed. Arthur helps Lewis with his homework and the larger boy provides protection from bullies and the much-needed friendship the blonde had been longing for. Arthur feels happier than he has in a long time, thankful to finally have a friend and he knows his Uncle Lance is happy for him too. Lewis encourages his creativity, listens to him ramble about robotics and machines and Arthur sits and watches Sailor Moon with him on the weekends. It's perfect and wonderful and more than Arthur could have ever hoped for. 

They meet Vivi when they are eleven years old and she is thirteen. The blue-haired girl is rushing through the halls of the school, eyes bright with excitement for you see, Vivi’s great-grandmother had been a witch from the North and the young girl knew with all her being that being a witch was all she ever wanted from life. She is excited because she is thirteen and knows that soon her daemon will settle and she cannot wait.

“I wonder what type of bird you’ll be.” Vivi wonders aloud to her daemon Pamalon who runs at her side as a little wildcat.

“Vivi, I’ve told you a million times, I don’t feel like a bird. We don’t feel like a bird.” He moans but she just scoffs and waves him off.

“Of course you’ll be a bird. All witches have bird daemons after all. You just haven't found the right one yet Pam.” 

Pam sighs, ears folded down at another lost argument when suddenly Vivi crashes headlong into another body sending her tumbling to the floor along with her books. She scrambles, rushing out apologies while reaching for her fallen books but the person she’d crashed into is already scooping them up and presenting them back to her. He’s a tall muscular boy with soft purple hair and eyes. On his shoulder, his daemon sits as an Australian barking owl. 'Pam would suit a barking owl' Vivi thinks for a moment before shaking herself and blushing madly.

“I am so sorry, I’ve always been such a cluts.” She mumbles and the boy chuckles, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“I guess I’m as much to blame seeing how I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He smiles crookedly and Vivi finds herself smiling right back. A flash of gold from behind him has her eyes turning and catching sight of another boy. This boy is much smaller than the first with gravity-defying blonde hair and the most beautiful coloured eyes she’s ever seen. Vivi didn’t even know eyes could be gold. She pulls her own eyes back to the purple haired boy, sticking a hand out to shake.

“My names Vivi.” He smiled, taking her hand in his.

“Lewis and this is my friend Arthur.” He says while moving aside and gesturing to the golden boy who is hunching in on himself and looking on the verge of a panic attack the poor thing. Vivi feels something inside her warming at the fact Lewis didn’t forget to introduce his little friend and also feels a strong surge of protectiveness flow into her at the sight of his frightened eyes.

“Well are you going to introduce me or am I not important enough?” Vivi jumps at Pam’s demanding voice, looking down into his wildcat face that is crumpled in fake annoyance.

“Of course you're important.” Vivi chuckles, scooping him up into her arms. “This is Pamalon.”

“Pleasure, this is my Olesia.” Lewis gestures to the owl on his shoulder before turning and suddenly all eyes are on Arthur who is blushing bright red and trembling ever so slightly. Vivi trembles herself when at first she cannot spy his daemon but Pam is looking at the boy's shirt and yes, there she can see a small lump hiding under the cloth. The boy looks down at his shirt, whispering something to his daemon and Vivi watches as a small white hamster emerges from his shirt to sit nervously on his shoulder, her eyes darting every which way as if afraid of being attacked. 

“T-this is Z-Zafriah but I c-c-call her Zira.” He stutters in a way that Vivi finds endearing and she thinks his daemon looks so pretty in her white colouring too. Pam thinks so too because suddenly he is a pretty white hopping mouse on her own shoulder. She wishes he'd be a bird of some kind but he still looks nice. Lewis walks her to class and then invites her to sit with them at lunch. At first, she thinks Arthur doesn’t like them because both he and Zira barely talk to her and Pam but Lewis assures her that they are just shy and sure enough, in a week Arthur is no longer stuttering around her. Zira is also changing into slightly larger forms but she is still small not that Pam and Olesia mind. 

The three of them fit perfectly though, like a puzzle piece. When Vivi is struggling with an assignment Arthur helps her study. When Lewis is teased for his interest in Sailor Moon Vivi is there to yell and rage at the bullies. When Arthur’s Uncle is struggling to pay the bills and can’t give his nephew enough to eat both Lewis and Vivi share their lunch with the skinny blonde. They complement each other, acting like siblings instead of friends but it feels right to them.

“We are a gang!” Pam declares a month into their friendship as a little yappy terrier.

“A Mystery to the world,” Olesia adds on as a little swift that zooms around their heads. Zira bats at the little bird as a pretty white fox, one of the larger forms that she’s taken.

“You are both a bunch of numb-skulls.” She laughs along with Arthur who can feel her joy.

“Zira, don’t be rude.” He giggles but Vivi is beaming like its Christmas.

“No, it's perfect. The Mystery Skulls Gang. It has a nice ring to it.” She states and Lewis chuckles at her enthusiasm. Pam barks in agreement, bounding over to Vivi and into her arms. Olesia landed on Lewis’ shoulder and Zira curls up on Arthur’s lap. It's simple and perfect and they wouldn’t have it any other way.


	2. Settling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The each settle in their own time for different reasons and when they do settle it reflects their person perfectly.

It happens three months after they meet Vivi. They are walking through the forest just outside of town that is rumoured to be haunted by a woman who was hung there after killing her husband. Lewis is all for it, always having been fascinated by the paranormal while Arthur goes along dragging his heels. Olesia is a sharp-eyed eagle owl on Lewis’ shoulder, Pam is a keen-nosed bloodhound while Zira is a golden coloured cricket hiding in Arthur’s hair. 

It’s getting late, the sun slowly starting to sink past the mountains causing the shadows of the forest to grow longer and more frightening. Even Lewis, brave strong Lewis begins to feel unnerved, constantly looking back to make sure Arthur is still there. It gets to the point where he reaches out and takes hold of the shaking hand, Olesia hooting softly to Zira who remains hidden in the wild mass of blonde hair. Vivi presses on, even when Lewis asks to turn back. She regrets this decision when a loud blood-curdling scream rents the air. Arthur yelps, clinging to Lewis’ back while the purple haired giant tenses, ready to protect his friends.

Olesia spots it first, giving a screaming cry and flapping madly on her perch. Pam begins to growl, hackles raised and Vivi can only stare at the first ghost she’s ever seen. The ghost is that of a woman in an old 18th-century dress and long dark hair. A noose hangs around her neck and she’s screaming and crying for all she is worth heading straight for them. 

The ghost looks at them, her bloodshot eyes glaring hatefully as screaming cries continue to fall from her mouth. It’s a frightening sight but the thing that scares them the most is that she is alone. She doesn’t have a daemon and that is just so wrong and frightening that Arthur near enough faints at the sight, Zira shrieking within his hair to get it away. 

The ghost screams and lunges towards them and Lewis and Arthur are frozen in terror and so is Vivi who can only stand there wishing to protect her friend in some way. And then Pam is there, lunging right back at the spectre in a form he’s never been before, snarling and roaring the whole time. The woman screams, jerking away from his claws and fleeing back into the forest until her vengeful cries have faded into nothingness. Quick as a flash Lewis is by Arthur’s side while Olesia is trying to convince Zira to come out of her hiding place. But she remains hidden and Arthur is staring at Vivi with wide eyes because he can feel the change in energy around her and Pam.

Vivi, for her part, can only stand there staring at Pam in shock, her knees weak and wobbly. He stares back, ears lowered and eyes brimming with sadness and Vivi shakes her head in denial because it can’t be true.

“This can’t be us.” She nearly sobs with anguish and Pam whimpers with regret.

“I’m sorry Vivi, but I told you I never felt like a bird. We never felt like a bird.” He tries to come closer but Vivi jerks away, betrayed by his words and form. Pam looks heartbroken at her rejection and something inside her very being stings but Vivi doesn’t care because he didn’t settle the way he was meant to. Turning finds Lewis and Arthur staring at her with wide eyes. Zira has come out from Arthur’s hair and is cupped within his hands as a white hamster while Olesia huddles close to Lewis’ neck as a Shrike. Seeing Olesia as a bird makes Vivi want to scream for all she is worth but she knows it won’t do her any good.

“Let’s go home.” She mutters instead. They part ways at her street, Lewis and Arthur promising to meet up with her at the park tomorrow. Vivi waves goodbye and walks back to her house, ignoring her parent's worried calls as she heads straight to her room where she sits on her bed and cries. The whole time she refuses to even look at Pam who sits by the far wall keening in distress. His cries must be heard from downstairs because the next thing Vivi knows, her parents are before her asking what is wrong.

“He’s wrong.” She sobs pointing an accusing finger at her daemon. “He was meant to be a bird but he settled wrong and now I’ll never be a witch!”

Her mother looks at a loss on how to fix this but her father smiles softly and pulls her close. “Just because he’s not a bird doesn’t mean you can’t be a witch.”

“But Great Grandmother had a bird daemon and all the other witches have bird daemons.” Vivi points out.

“All full-blooded witches have bird daemons. But your not full-blooded, you’re a descendant of a witch but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn magic. You’ll never ride on Cloud Pine or live as long as they do but you can still learn magic, Vivi. Pamalon’s form doesn’t change that.” Her father soothes her while his badger daemon comforts Pam who is still whimpering in the corner. Her parents leave after that and its silent for a good hour more before Vivi finally breaks the ice.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you and for ignoring you.” He looks at her with soft amber eyes, his ears slowly rising back up to a normal position.

“I’m sorry for settling wrong.” He whispers and Vivi feels so unbearably guilty at hearing him say such a thing that she all but flings herself at him, arms pulling him close as she sokes his fur with her tears.

“You didn’t settle wrong. Your perfect and I was stupid for thinking otherwise.” Vivi mumbled from his fur, pulling back to cup his face gently in trembling hands. “Can you ever forgive me?”

And Pam smiled, rumbling deeply in his chest while rubbing his face against her own. “I will always forgive you.”

And Vivi feels lighter after that, curling up in bed with her daemon by her side like always. When they meet up with Lewis and Arthur the next day the boys are delighted to see them walking side by side with bright smiles on their faces. And yes, while Vivi is initially disappointed that Pam didn’t settle as a bird she is immensely happy to have a Clouded Leopard as her soul.

****** 

The next one to settle in their group happens two years later when the boys are thirteen and Vivi is fifteen. Its late Spring and the holidays are just two weeks away which unfortunately means that exams are one week away. Arthur isn’t worried, he’s been getting straight A’s since year 2. Lewis isn’t too worried because he’s been revising with Arthur and his siblings have all been pitching in to help. Vivi is more stressed, especially for her geography exam as the subject has never been her strong point. 

The Gang are in Lewis’ backyard sitting under the large oak tree. The boys are playing on their DS’ and Vivi is pouring over her notes like a mad woman, Pam sitting by her side looking just as stressed. Vivi is just thinking that things couldn’t get any worse because she is certain that she will fail the exam when a big gust of wind blows through the area taking her notes up into the sky with it.

“No!” 

Pam leaps up trying to grab them but they are already too high for him to reach and all seems lost when a blur of brown and white zips past, snatching the notes out of the air before depositing them back safely on the ground. Vivi is quick to scoop them up lest they fly away again and turns to thank Lewis because who else has a daemon with a favour for bird forms but stops in her tracks.

Lewis is staring at Olesia in shock which has Vivi’s suspicions rising but it’s the look on Arthur’s face that seals the deal. He’s looking at Lewis the same way he looks at kids at school when their daemon's suddenly settled. It was something they had picked up on years ago, how sensitive Arthur was the energies. He could sense all kinds of energies, both spiritual, emotional and physical. Seeing the blonde looking at their friend with that expression on his face, Vivi knows Olesia has finally settled. She looks at Lewis who now has the biggest smile on his face that she has ever seen as he turns to face them both.

“Well, what do you think?” He asks proudly while Olesia spreads her wings for inspection.

“The colour suits you perfectly.” Pam gushes which has Vivi blushing brightly.

“Always knew you would be a bird brain.” She teases because when she thinks back on their first meeting Olesia had been an owl.

When Arthur steps forward to take a closer look Lewis smiles warmly while Olesia gives a soft croon that Zira mirrors from Arthur’s shoulder as a little golden finch. “She’s beautiful.”

“And still looking out for all of us,” Zira adds on which has them all smiling. 

“Someone has to keep an eye on all of you.” Olesia huffs.

“What kind of bird are you?” Zira whispers quietly.

“Why an Osprey of course! I wouldn’t be anything less.” She declares which has Lewis flushing brightly. His family rejoices with the news and his mother makes his favourite meal for dinner and allows Vivi and Arthur to spend the night. They stay up late watching movies and researching paranormal sightings and all is right with the world. 

****** 

When Zira finally settles it’s a year later when the boys are fourteen and Vivi is sixteen. It’s their first time encountering a cult and while it’s a small and fairly new cult they are still far more than what the teens were prepared for. The men have a tight hold on Lewis and Vivi while their daemons pin Pam and Olesia to the floor. Zira is a hamster again shivering in Arthur’s hands and because Pam and Olesia are settled the cult members assume Zira is too. This is their first mistake.

Their second mistake comes when one decides to have some fun with Lewis and has his polecat daemon pluck a few of Olesia’s feathers out. The osprey cries out in pain and Lewis gives a soft whimper, tears springing to his purple eyes which has something inside Arthur snapping. Perhaps it’s the negatively charged energy he’s feeling mixed with the fear but he’s suddenly filled with an anger that burns hot through his body and into Zira. She leaps from his hands, changing mid-air and knocking into the polecat with enough force to dislodge her from Olesia. She sinks teeth and claws into the other daemon who is shrieking with fright. The cult members scatter, to new and too afraid that if there is an unsettled daemon among them than she might change into something larger and more dangerous. 

Lewis is quick to pull Olesia close, looking at the small bleeding holes where two of her feathers used to sit. Vivi places a concerned hand on his shoulder and he smiles back warmly to assure her that no harm has been done when Pam gives a startled gasp. They swing round thinking Arthur is in trouble but instead, he is standing there and gazing down at Zira with wide eyes, the same expression on his face that he’d had when Olesia settled.

“So this is us?” He asks quietly, still so painfully shy after all these years.

Zira gazes back up at him and stands on her hind legs, face coated with the blood she’d drawn from the other daemon. “Yes, this is us.”

Arthur stares for a moment longer before smiling brightly, leaning down and offering his arm for her to climb up which she does. She sits on his shoulder, snow white fur gleaming in the low light of the room while her black tipped tail sways softly behind her. 

“I always knew you’d be something vicious but still small.” Pam chuckles to which Zira sticks her tongue out at him.

“Well, I think you're perfect. My Knight in shining armour.” Olesia praises and for once Zira doesn’t shy away from the compliment but instead seems to preen under it. Arthur still flushes, head ducking down to look at the floor. His friends congratulate him and there is a good mood the whole way home. At home, Arthur tries to slip past his Uncle unnoticed but Gwendolyn spots him straight away and alerts Lance in the next second. The stout man can tell something is different and Arthur is terrified that he will be disappointed with Zira’s form but she knows better than him and this new form that sits so right on her skin fills her with newly found confidence.

“I’ve settled.” She states boldly much to Arthur’s displeasure. Lance gazes up at her and Gwendolyn gives a soft low chuff. It is silent and Arthur is just starting to panic when his Uncle claps him on the back with a bright smile on his face.

“Now you’re a real man, boy, all grown up.” He looks and sounds so proud as he says it that Arthur has to fight back the tears wanting to form.

“It suits you well.” Gwendolyn bows her mighty head and Zira practically glows with happiness. 

It does suit her Arthur thinks as he watches her move about quickly and efficiently in his workshop, easily finding the tools he needs and bringing them to him or sitting on his shoulder to watch him while he works, whispering ways to improve a project or reminding him of a step he missed. Yes, he’s very happy to have an ermine as a soul.


	3. Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They encounter this first demon and Vivi realizes they are vastly unprepared for such a force. Thankfully, a certain Kitsune happened to be in the area.

When they meet Mystery the boys are sixteen and Vivi is eighteen. They are on their first real paid case, their first official job as the Mystery Skulls Paranormal Investigators and of course, it also means encountering they're first ever demon. They get the call from an elderly man who owns an old manor on the border of town and he begs them to help get rid of a restless spirit that is tormenting the staff and groundskeepers. Vivi excitedly agrees, especially when he tells them what he’ll pay them.

“We could save up for a van and then travel across the country on cases.” She practically vibrates with excitement and even Arthur perks up at this. He’d love to get a van to tinker and modify.

So they grab their second-hand equipment that barely works on the best of days because only Vivi has a proper job, Lewis and Arthur are just helping out with their family business and won’t get paid till they are at least seventeen. The manor is huge and the grounds back up onto a large field where a great battle took place during the civil war. It's historic and why the old man wants the spirit gone. 

Vivi has set up the spirit box and is listening intently for any voices that might come through while Lewis holds a little device that will light up when it detects a spirit close by. But Arthur is tense, Zira curled tight around his neck because he can feel the hate and evil seeping into the area. He opens his mouth to warn his friends but finds his voice is gone, lost to the fear that is slowly taking over. He thinks he won’t be able to warn them, won’t be able to shout when he sees the red eyes slowly creeping up on his two friends when Zira gives a loud screaming cry.

Olesia is up in an instant, flapping and shrieking wildly while Pam hisses and snarls at the great black mass for that’s all it is. A black mist with glowing red/orange eyes. Vivi acts quickly, throwing a bottle of holy water into the air that Olesia takes and flies around the group in a quick circle, pouring the water as she goes. It won’t be enough, Vivi knows this because Arthur is white in the face and looking sick to his stomach which lets her know just how powerful this demon is. She digs through her bag, hands coming into contact with the salt bag and she quickly begins to chant one of the spells she’s been learning. The demon howls in rage at her words, flying towards the barrier the holy water made and Vivi throws the salt.

It should burn the demon and it does, just not as much as Vivi thought it would. It shrieks in pain but doesn’t disappear from sight like it should, it clings to their world with such ferocity that Arthur falls to his knees and retches. Lewis is screaming at Vivi to do something but she doesn’t know what to do, she hasn’t studied enough magic for this, isn’t trained enough to deal with such a powerful force. Pam is spitting by his side, fur standing on end and tail lashing but he knows how powerless they are.

The demon lunges and Vivi can only mourn that she is the reason her friends are about to die, she was the one who wanted to start Paranormal investigations after all. She stands there and watches her death approaching when suddenly a blur of white tackles the beast to the floor. There’s snarling, shrieking, howling and the sound of snapping teeth before a bright light covers the area, so bright Vivi has to look away. She hears Arthur and Zira scream and Pam is running for them, his eyes wild and filled with fear for them.

“Artie! Artie are you okay?” Lewis is holding their small friend up who is cradling Zira close to his chest. Vivi drops to her knees, hands reaching out for his face.

“Arthur?” She breaths, voice filled with such remorse. He looks up then, colour returning to his face while his eyes blink slowly, gazing at something over her shoulder in wonder and slight fear. Vivi and Lewis turn, blood-freezing when they see the massive creature standing before them.

It’s a white fox with six tails. He has a black and red fur on his head that looks more like hair and golden glasses sit at the end of his nose. His eyes are a deep red but they don’t look menacing like the demons had been nor does he look like he wants to attack them seeing how he just saved them.

“Are you alright?” The three of them jump when he speaks, the daemons trembling nervously by their sides. His eyes are looking at Arthur mainly, ears lowered in concern. “I sensed a begin with great power and another with a strong sensitivity to energies. Are you unharmed?”

“Yes, we’re fine,” Lewis speaks for them, ever the brave one. Olesia has settled once more on his shoulder, happy to see Zira looking more alert and happy than she had before. 

The Kitsune, because that’s all he could be with those tails, nods while dropping to his belly before them so he can be more at eye level. “I am glad, you three are special in ways I have yet to see in other humans.”

“What do you mean?” Vivi asks, her fear forgotten in the face of a supernatural creature that actually wants to talk to them. 

“You are the descendant of a powerful witch, her magic runs through your veins. The golden one is sensitive to energies, more so than any other human I have encountered. The purple one has a heart far larger than most full of love and protection.” The Kitsune tells them, tails swaying softly behind him. 

“Your energy was amazing,” Zira speaks up from around Arthur’s neck causing the blonde to flush crimson, attempting to hush his daemon. The Kitsune smiles at them, leaning forward to sniff at the ermine and blow warm air over the human half’s face. Vivi and Lewis, who had gone tense at his actions watch in shock and awe as Arthur relaxes, face smoothing and shoulders slumping in a way they rarely do. Even when they are at Lewis’ or at Uncle Lance’s workshop some part of Arthur is always tense. Right now though he is completely and utterly peaceful.

“I can teach you how to control the energies you feel, teach you how to block them out so they won’t overwhelm you like they do.” The Kitsune offers and Arthur smiles softly. 

“I’d like that.” He murmured.

“But how are we gonna hide a Kitsune?” Lewis can’t help but ask and the Kitsune laughs. Right before their eyes, he shrinks down into the body of a little white dog with a single short tail. They are stunned yet amazed by the magic, especially Vivi who is even more delighted when he offers to help teach her magic. Like the final piece to a puzzle, he fits into their group perfectly. His knowledge and power helping them on cases, keeping them safe. They soon have enough money to buy a van that Arthur is free to modify and upgrade to his heart's content. They gain more experience, take on harder cases and earn more money to buy better equipment. 

Two weeks after joining them Vivi presents the Kitsune with a collar so that he can’t be taken away by the pound for being a stray. When he sees the name tag he blinks before his eyes soften with warmth and joy. 

“We are the Mystery Skulls, seems fitting don’t you think?” She asks the whole group.

“You are a mystery.” Lewis laughs.

“Every Gang needs a mascot.” Arthur puts in from under the van, Zira muttering things to him that they can add to make it run faster and smoother.

He looks at the name tag, red eyes filled with such profound joy at being accepted into this strange little family made up of misfits and castoffs. They are all so strange and different but they complete each other like a daemon completes a person. And Mystery wouldn’t have it any other way.


	4. The Cave: Arthur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur wishes he'd listened to her and not gone in the cave. If he had then maybe Lewis would still be here and Zira wouldn't be the way she is now

Before the cave, Zafirah had been happily settled as a little white ermine that would sit curled around his neck, watching him work and fetching his tools for him when asked. Before the cave, she had been shy and timid, much like himself though that was to be expected. She was bolder than him, but not by much. Before the cave, they had been whole.  
After the cave, they are broken.

They hear rumours of a cave where people experience negative feelings, blackouts and memory blanks. Vivi and Pam cannot wait to get there, Lewis and Olesia smile fondly at their antics and Arthur and Zira cower in the back of the van. Mystery whines sadly at this, nosing at Arthur’s left hand to try and soothe him, reminding him of the exercises to block out negative energy. And he tries, he honest to God tries to block it out but this force he’s feeling is strong, stronger than even the demon they encountered the night they met Mystery.

When they pull up to the cave and begin to head in Zira gives a spitting hiss, leaping from Arthur’s shoulder to land on the ground. She sits there, trembling in fright while Pam and Olesia try to comfort her into going with them.

“This place isn't right!” She cries. “It’s wrong, something is terribly wrong!”

“And that’s why we’re here, to fix the wrong,” Olesia says while grooming the ermine’s head.

“Please Zira, it will be over quickly if we just go with them,” Arthur begs and she wants to feel betrayed that he’s taking their side and not her’s but she can see the terror on his face, how white he’s gone. She sighs and against her better judgement follows after Arthur and the group but for some reason, she cannot bring herself to climb up to her customary place on Arthur’s shoulders. It should have been their first sign but they want to make Vivi and Lewis happy so they ignore the wrong and evil feeling that seems to be closing in around them, follow Lewis up the path while Vivi and Mystery go down.

The cliff they find sends a spike of something rushing through Arthur as he stands there in terror, Zira spitting softly behind him. He looks at Lewis and Olesia, standing by the edge of the cliff so they can look down at the sharp Stalagmites at the bottom. Arthur looks at them as his left arm begins to go numb, his mind splintering painfully as something invades but he cannot open his mouth to scream. Arthur stands there as this thing worms its way into his mind, placing itself between him and Zira and it’s the most painful and terrifying thing he’s ever felt, more so then when that bully forcefully took Zira away from him all those years ago. It's painful and wrong because he cannot feel Zira anymore, cannot feel her heartbeat or her thoughts and for a heart-stopping moment, Arthur wonders if he’s dead. But no, he’s not dead because he can still see and he can only watch in horror as his body moves without his consent, rushing at Lewis with his left arm extended, his left arm that has turned a sickening green colour. 

Lewis turns at the last second having heard Arthur running up behind him. Those purple eyes widen in terror and then Arthur’s hand connects with his chest, shoving him over the side of the cliff. Arthur watches helplessly as Lewis falls, Olesia desperately clinging to his shirt as she tries to pull him up but its all in vain because she is too small and Lewis to heavy for her to carry. Arthur watches, sick to his stomach as Lewis lands on a Stalagmite, the sharp rock piercing his chest and sending blood everywhere. Arthur watches as Olesia screams in anguish before bursting into a shower of golden particles that float away into nothingness. 

There’s a voice screaming somewhere behind him that Arthur distantly recognises as Zira and then suddenly there is pain greater than having Zira pushed to the back of his mind racing up his left arm. Arthur screams, turns terror filled golden eyes to Mystery who is in his Kitsune form and who is tearing off his left arm. Arthur screams because he can and because when the arm is ripped off his body its his own again and he can feel Zira but she’s different and that terrifies him more than anything that has happened this whole night. The shock takes over just as a massive creature of white that isn’t Mystery fills his vision and then Arthur sinks into the welcoming embrace of darkness.

He wakes up three days later in a white hospital room, wires and needles littering his body and a ventilation mask fitted over his face. Arthur is confused, why is he here, what happened and where were his friends? The confusion only lasts for a few seconds before the memories come crashing back and he sobs for all he is worth because he killed Lewis, he murdered his best friend and he’s never coming back. He goes to lift his arms, wanting to hide his face but only the right comes up. Body tensing as ice-cold fear sinks in, Arthur looks to his left and feels like screaming when he sees the bandaged stump that is now his left arm. Arthur sobs, looks to his right to try and find Zira only to freeze when he locks golden eyes with equal golden eyes.

When Zira had settled she’d been a white ermine with a black tipped tail and sky blue eyes. She was small and shy, her voice but a whisper when she spoke. When Arthur turns to his right to look at his daemon he doesn’t find a little white ermine with sky blue eyes looking back at him. Instead, Arthur comes face to face with the largest wolf he’s ever seen.  
She’s still as white as snow but her eyes are the same bright gold as his own now. She sits on the other side of the room, a good five meters away and a distance that would normally have them screaming and crying for each other. She sits there in a new body and she doesn’t look scared or frightened like he feels, she just looks sad. When the doctors come in to check on him she stands, floating across the room to stand by his side, lips pulled back in a vicious snarl with her hackles raised. The doctors tense, looking frightened by her display and Arthur feels a tremor run through his body. Whether it's from fear or exhaustion he cannot tell. One doctor stands firm, taking the needed tests and staying back to explain the situation to him.

An animal attack is what he’s told, possibly a bear or mountain lion followed them into the cave and tore off his arm and caused Lewis to fall from the cliff. Vivi and Pam have partial amnesia, they cannot remember the cave or Lewis and hearing that leaves Arthur feeling cold all over. Then the doctor tells him about re-settling, an event that occurs in daemons during a traumatic event. It’s very rare and its what happened to Zira in the cave. She’s a Dire Wolf now and that is how she will stay for the rest of his life.

“Why, why did this have to happen?” He whimpers later in the night when they are all alone. Zira walks over, resting her massive head on his lap and allowing him to run trembling fingers through her silky fur.

“I don’t know, but I will never let it happen again.” She vows, teeth gleaming in the low light. 

Zafirah settled as an ermine when they were fourteen defending Olesia from a polecat, protecting Lewis and Olesia from pain. She settled again as a Dire Wolf when they are twenty-two and they are forced to kill their best friend.


	5. The Cave: Vivi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the cave, Vivi and Pam felt complete and whole. Now they can't help but think that something is missing

Before the cave, Vivi and Pam had been so utterly and perfectly sure in themselves and where their place in the world was. Before the cave, Pam had helped her research spells and would curl up with Olesia while Vivi and Lewis shared soft gentle kisses. Before the cave, they had been happy and whole.

After the cave, they feel like something is missing.

Vivi and Pam don’t remember the cave or the animal attack. They wake up in a hospital room and are told about the attack, about how a man named Lewis who they don’t remember was killed and how Arthur lost his arm. When the doctors learn of her missing memory they perform countless tests and diagnose her with partial amnesia, stating that the shock must have repressed the memories of the event but Vivi and Pam know better. They have been training in the magical arts since they were thirteen and they are twenty-four now. They have experienced enough of the supernatural and magical to know that their memory loss isn’t as natural as the doctors think.

“Something else was in the cave, something more than an animal,” Vivi mutters because it’s the only explanation.

“I bet Arthur and Zira know,” Pam says back and that’s how they find themselves walking to their friend's room for the first time since the cave. There are no nurses or doctors to warn them of what they’ll find, all they’ve been told is that Arthur lost an arm and is lucky to be alive. So they aren’t prepared for what happens when they open the door and step into the room. Vivi only has a second to see Arthur lying so still and pale on the bed, bandages covering his left shoulder that is only a stump now when suddenly there is a massive white wolf standing between them, hackles raised and golden eyes flashing in warning. Pam gives a spitting hiss of fright while the wolf snarls, snapping her jaws loudly and still standing protectively between them and Arthur. It’s because of this that allows them to understand who the wolf is.

“Zira?” Pam whispers the name in such a small voice that Vivi almost doesn’t hear him. The wolf growls, her golden eyes hard and cold as steel. She isn’t the same Zira they once knew, she’s changed and Vivi knows they have too.

The doctors come and escort her away, speaking in hushed tones about re-settling and about what it means to have a wolf as a daemon. Vivi and Pam here what they say and bristle with anger on Arthur’s behalf because he isn’t psychotic or mentally unstable and he has never been abused by Uncle Lance so they are wrong about what Zira’s new form means. They are angry on his behalf but whenever they look at Zira, look at her wolf body and wolf face and see the coldness of her stare and the protective wariness in her gait they can’t help but feel a thrill of primal fear. They feel the fear because even though they disagree with the stereotypes they know that daemons don’t become wolves unless something is terribly wrong. 

“It suits her though,” Pam whispers late at night and Vivi wants to yell at him, tell him that he is horrible for saying such a thing but she can’t bring herself to because she knows he’s right.

“I know Pam, I know.”

Zira had settled to protect Lewis all those years ago and now she has settled again to protect Arthur, from what Vivi can’t say. But she was always a protector, more so than Pam and his clouded leopard form. Vivi clings to that because maybe, just maybe, wolves can belong to people who want to protect instead of hurt.

When Vivi finally speaks with Arthur Zira stands on his left side, the side that’s missing an arm and watches her every move like a hawk. She does the same when Mystery comes for a visit, both her and Arthur tense like a spring the whole time he’s there and when he gets too close She snaps her jaws threateningly which has him backing off with a whine. Vivi wants to ask why Zira is doing this, why she is so cold towards them now but doesn’t. Asking seems like an unwise thing to do and Pam doesn’t fancy his chances in a fight against an enraged over-protective Dire Wolf. 

And things do get slightly better, to the point where Vivi and Pam can talk to Arthur and be in the same room as him without Zira looking like she’s one second away from lunging at them. But she doesn’t talk that much anymore and when she does it's in short clipped answers that are almost as cold as her eyes are. Vivi mourns her lost memories, mourns for this Lewis who she cannot recall, but most of all, she mourns for Arthur and the person he used to be.


	6. The Cave: Lewis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he was alive, Lewis never really had a cause to miss anything. Now, however, he misses one thing more than anything, more than anyone could miss anything. He misses Olesia.

Before the cave, Lewis didn’t really miss anything. He had a perfect life with a family that loved him, friends that supported him and had also started dating the girl of his dreams. Olesia had settled as a beautiful Osprey and he and his friends were slowly making a name for themselves in the Paranormal Investigating business. Before the cave, Lewis felt at peace and content with his life.

After the cave, he is lost and alone.

When Lewis first wakes up he is confused, memories blurred and hard to tell apart from dreams and reality. He only has to turn around and see a Stalagmite covered with blood to remind him of what had happened. The shock hits him first, followed by betrayal and sadness that then settles into a white-hot anger towards the one he used to call his best friend. He cannot believe Arthur would do such a thing, after everything he’d done for the quiet golden-eyed boy. Before Lewis Arthur had been alone and friendless and if it weren't for him and Olesia he may have been accidentally separated from Zira.

It's this thought process that leads Lewis to his most frightening discovery yet. Since waking up, Lewis hasn’t felt the familiar weight sitting on his shoulder or heard the soft comforting coos that are normally there to calm his anger. The panic rises as he looks around, desperate to catch even a flash of brown and white but there is nothing there but the darkness of the cave.

“Olesia! Olesia!” He’s descending into hysteria but Lewis can’t bring himself to care. His daemon is gone, she isn’t there with him and he’s alone and he’s afraid and she's not there. He remembers the ghost of the woman they encountered years ago, the first ghost they ever saw and remembers how alone she had been. She didn’t have a daemon and now neither did Lewis. When a human dies their daemon turns to Dust, the tether holding them to the mortal world having passed on and so they are unable to keep form. Lewis knows this but he can’t accept it.

Lewis doesn’t know how long he spends huddled by the Stalagmite that ended his life, softly crying for his daemon that is now gone. It could have been hours, days or even years for all he cares because nothing else in the world matters now. Was this what Arthur felt all those years ago when that bully and his daemon snatched Zira away from him? The thought of Arthur has him pausing, a new feeling other than pain and loss emerging inside him. Arthur had pushed him, Arthur had killed him, Arthur had taken Olesia away from him. It was all his fault.

There’s a fire growing, raging as Lewis begins to stand. Revenge, hatred and betrayal are fueling his fire and giving him strength. In that moment Lewis knows what he must do, he knows what he must do to avenge Olesia.

Lewis learns to miss a lot of things from when he was alive. He misses his family, misses being able to eat and sleep, misses feeling his own heart beating inside his chest, misses Vivi and her loving smile. But most of all, Lewis misses Olesia. He remembers how on that fateful night in the cave she sat as a comforting presence on his shoulder. Lewis remembers how she tried to save him even though it was a pointless effort. Lewis remembers his last image of Olesia, screaming and crying in anguish as she burst into a shower of golden Dust. He also distantly remembers another voice screaming along with her, another female voice that is familiar but doesn’t belong to Olesia or Vivi but he can’t place it.

The locket that now acts as his anchor now glows the same burning gold of the Dust that had been Olesia in her last moments, occasionally tinted with brown and white. He can feel a part of her in that locket but it's not the same, it's not all of her and for that he hates Arthur for it.


	7. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Lance gets the call that his nephew is in the hospital in a critical condition, he feels his heart stutter in his chest.

When Lance gets the call saying his nephew is in the hospital in a critical condition, he feels his heart stutter to a stop while Gwendolyn staggers where she stands. That kid has become everything to them, the last part they have left of their brother. The kid has been theirs since he was four years old and his parents had been killed in a car accident, the kid was theirs in every shape of the world so Lance can’t imagine life without him. They speed all the way to the hospital and once they learn what room Arthur is in they take off before the doctor can warn them.

They burst into the room and a second later Gwendolyn is tackled to the floor by a blur of white that is snarling like a creature straight from the gates of hell. Lance goes pale in the face when he sees the massive wolf pinning his daemon to the ground, teeth bared in a vicious growl. He goes pale because both he and Gwendolyn would recognize those golden eyes anywhere, even if they used to be sky blue.

“Zira, it’s me, it’s Gwen.” The wolf stays frozen for a few more seconds and Lance worries that she will ignore what’s she’s been told and attack but then she backs away, head lowered and body tense. Gwen gets slowly to her feet, eyeing the younger daemon warily while Lance moves to her side. And then Lance sees Arthur, pale as a ghost and hooked up to so many machines that make him look so small and helpless, especially with only one arm.

“Oh, my boy. My dear boy what has happened to you.” Lance mutters while falling to his knees. Gwen gives a low sound of distress, amber eyes filled with such sadness and agony. Zira watches them and looks away, ears pulled back in shame.

“I wasn’t strong enough.” She whispered the first words she’d uttered since the attack. Gwen looked at her and remembers when she and her boy had come home after she’d settled as an ermine. A vicious little creature that while very devoted and protective couldn’t hope to defend against a bear or mountain lion which is what they’ve been told attacked them.

“That’s why your this way now, isn’t it?” She asked, watching as lips pulled back to reveal razor sharp teeth.

“I won’t let anything or anyone hurt him again.” Zira hissed with raised hackles. Gwen watched and bowed her great lioness head in sadness at what her nephew and niece had become. They visit as often as they can which is almost every day. When Arthur wakes up he clings to Zira like his life depends on it, hand always buried deep in her ruff when walking down the hallway. He jerks away from physical contact, Zira snarling or snapping her jaws at anyone who tries to get close, anyone other than Lance and Gwen.

When they go home after two weeks of lying in a hospital bed Arthur throws himself into working on a prosthetic arm made of metal that will have artificial nerves that connect to the real ones. He works day and night, deep bags under his eyes and barely eats or sleeps. Throughout it all, Zira stays by his side, a silent bodyguard. It’s also during this time that Lance and Gwen learn about another thing that has changed between Arthur and Zira.

It’s late at night and Lance is just heading up to bed when Zira comes lumbering into the kitchen, alone and without Arthur. For the second time in a month, Lance feels his heart stutter to a stop while Gwen gives a spitting growl, fur standing on end and eyes wild with fear and panic. Zira looks at them with those cold golden pools, ears cocked to the side.

“He needs food.” Is all she says before grabbing a packet of chips between her teeth and walking back up to Arthur’s room. Lance is breathless and Gwen is pacing with anxiety. She stops, looks at him and they both feel their hearts breaking.

Arthur hears Zira enter the room again and feels his whole body relax once more. It doesn’t hurt when she leaves him like it should but it leaves him feeling anxious and tense. He still remembers the first time she left him, just two days after they were released from the hospital. Lance is out and Arthur is downstairs and in need of his pain medication but can’t find the strength to go upstairs to the bathroom to get them when Zira just up and leaves. He’s hit with a sudden terror, screaming her name and thinking that soon he will feel that same mind splitting and soul-crushing pain he’d felt in the cave when that thing came between them but it never comes and that frightens him even more. And then she’s back, licking his face and pressing up against him once more.

“When that thing got between us, it severed the bond dear one. We can still feel each other but now I am like a Witches daemon, I can go as far as I want from you.” Zira explains once he’s calmed down and taken his medication.

“Don’t leave me though, promise you won’t leave.” He begs her because she’s all he has left of Lewis and Olesia in a way and the only one who understands him now. She remembers what he did in the cave, she remembers the pain and fear. She is him and he is her. 

“I will never leave you, Arthur. At most I’ll go down to the kitchen to get food for you when you forget.” She smiles then, one of the first smiles she’s given anyone since the incident and Arthur laughs, relieved and comforted.

So they adjust to this new aspect of their being and answer Uncle Lance’s questions in a vague version that doesn’t involve demons and possessions and unintentional murder.

They invite Vivi and Pam over, let them watch as they work on the arm and when the arm is done and working properly, unlike the first two prototypes, they begin looking at cases again. Little ones to begin with and slowly build their way back up. Vivi and Pam are happy to be back in the game and Arthur is happy they are happy because he knows they’ve been missing something, something they cannot remember but he does.

“If they knew what I did.” He muttered late one night when Vivi and Pam are sleeping in the back of the van and he’s driving to their next case. Zira and Mystery are in the front with him, constant companions now.

“They’d understand.” Mystery assured him while Zira growled.

“And if they didn’t I wouldn’t let them touch you.” She is tense and every bit the dangerous predator she is. She sends Mystery a look, challenging him to try and defy her but he only nods silently. They’ve forgiven him for what he did in the cave because they know if he hadn’t done what he did then Arthur would have been lost forever and Zira wouldn’t have a human half anymore. Arthur reached out with his metal arm and buried it deep in Zira’s fur.

She was his rock, his protector and best friend all in one. When Arthur had first seen her after waking up in the hospital he’d been terrified because daemons didn’t become wolves unless something was seriously wrong. He’d been frightened of her and her sharp teeth. He’d been frightened of what she now represented and was frightened about what she said about himself. But then she’d explained how she would protect him and Mystery and Pam and Vivi with every fibre of her being and he knew why she’d re-settled. She had been perfect as an ermine but she couldn’t protect them. She was perfect as a wolf and she could protect them.

“Do you miss what I was?” Zira asked even later that night when they’ve pulled over and everyone else is asleep in the back of the van. 

Arthur paused from where he sat doing maintenance on his arm, golden eyes wide with surprise. And then he thought about the question and thought about how he felt now when he looked at Zira in her wolf skin. “No, your perfect in whatever form you take.”

Zira huffed, eyes softening as she laid her head on his lap, closing her eyes when his flesh fingers came up to rub behind her ears. 

“I miss Lewis.” He whispered into the dark and she whined.

“I know.”

“I miss Olesia.”

“I know.”

“I wish I listened to you and not gone into that cave.”

“…I know.”


	8. The Cave: Zafirah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zira hated that she couldn't do anything that fateful night to save Lewis and Olesia and protect Arthur. She vows to never be so helpless ever again.

Zira knew she and her human half were different than most. They could sense when someone was sad or angry, happy or anxious, lonely or sick. They could sense when a thunderstorm was coming and could feel the electrical currents flowing through the walls of the house and the school building. They could also sense spiritual energy.

Zira had sensed the evil lying in wait inside the cave and her little ermine body had trembled in fear. She knew Arthur could sense it too but he ignored her advice and went inside anyway to please Lewis and Vivi. For a moment Zira hates him for it but really she cannot blame him. Lewis and Vivi are the first friends he’s ever had and he desperately clings to them. Since they started dating the fear that they will one day leave him has grown so no, she cannot hate him for going into the cave to please them. 

They separate when the path splits, Vivi and Mystery going down and Arthur and Lewis going up. Zira wishes they hadn't gone up. She wishes for a lot of things in life but if she could have one wish that came true it would be that they hadn’t gone up. 

Like a slow-acting poison, the malicious entity seeps into Arthur’s body through his left arm, worming into his mind and taking control of his body. Worst of all though, it puts itself between Zira and Arthur, cutting at the bond and pushing them apart. It's blinding but Zira can’t find it within herself to scream. All she can do is what as Arthur’s arm turns green and he runs forward, shoving Lewis over the cliff to his death and finally, she breaks.

“ARTHUR!” 

Zira feels her body split apart and re-shape itself. It feels nothing like it had when she’d been younger and free to change at will. This hurts because her body had already found a form suited to her and was now changing into another. She screams in agony, fear and anger at what this demon has done to her and her precious boy. She screams and then she’s howling with rage, lunging at Mystery who is tearing off Arthur’s left arm. When she rams into the Kitsune they tumble to the floor and Zira howls at the pain she feels when Arthur’s arm rips free. It feels like her own left front leg has been ripped off yet it's still there and this enrages her. Teeth snapping she goes for Mystery’s throat but he’s faster than her pain-filled body and dances away.

“What have you done?” She shrieks, hunching over Arthur’s limp form as his blood stains her pristine white fur.

“If I hadn’t acted then he would have been lost forever to the demon.” Mystery says in such a pain-filled and guilty tone that it calms some of Zira’s rage. His ears are lowered as is his head and soft whines are slipping past his mouth.

“Why didn’t you get here sooner?” Zira hissed, mind filled with Lewis falling and Olesia crying. “Why didn’t you save them?”

“I’m sorry Zafirah, but I wasn’t fast enough.” Mystery sighed, shrinking down and leaving to find Vivi and Pam. He finds them catatonic at the bottom of the cliff, glassy pink eyes staring blankly at Lewis’ body. He finds her phone and calls 911, pretending to be Pam.

Zira watches as the paramedics and police come, snarling and growling at any who dare come too close. The humans are afraid, their daemons gazing at her like she’s the monster and not the demon. They go to the hospital and Arthur is rushed into surgery, the doctors working as quickly as they can so they don’t have to be in the same room as Zira who watches them with cold golden eyes. When they are alone in a privet room that has a bathroom with a mirror in it Zira finally sees why they are so scared.

“A wolf?” She whispered to Mystery who has snuck into the room.

“A Dire Wolf to be correct.” He answers to which she growls.

“Why has this happened?”

Mystery gazed at her sadly. “You’ve always been a wolf Zafirah. You settled as an ermine because it was small and also to protect Olesia and Lewis. You’ve settled again as a wolf because you wanted to protect Arthur.”

She glares at him but cannot argue with the truth. She looks at her human, lying pale and still on a bed six meters away, a distance they shouldn’t be able to manage without pain and shivers. The demon separated them but Zira knows they are stronger than ever. This form is powerful, is right in a way the ermine form wasn’t and she will be able to protect Arthur this way. She will never allow what happened in the cave to happen again. She will protect Arthur or die trying.


	9. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis was prepared to confront his murderer and finish him off. He was prepared to face the cold face of his once best friend who had pushed him off the cliff. He was prepared to face the monster who took Olesia from him. He wasn't prepared to face a broken man with a broken soul that had changed so much since they last saw each other.

They are driving and actually having fun. The radio is blaring a loud yet catchy song and Arthur is smiling along with Vivi. Pam is leaping all around the van with Mystery and Zira is lounging in the back just behind Arthur’s seat, eyes closed but a small smile on her face. They all sink into the beat of the song when suddenly the van stutters, jerks and comes to a stop in front of a large and intimidating mansion. Vivi and Pam feel the excitement building right away but Arthur is shrinking down into his seat, Zira rising behind him with a low growl.

“The place looks old, bet there’s a ghost in there somewhere,” Vivi exclaimed, rushing up the steps before Arthur can stop her. He stands there, hand clutching Zira’s ruff and leaning into Mystery’s body that has appeared by his leg.

“Do you want to stay out here and let me go fetch her?” Mystery asked, Arthur’s heart slowly warming at his concern.

“No. We’ll all go together. No separating.” Arthur says firmly while Zira growls in agreement. Mystery nods, knowing how well separating had gone the last time they did it.   
They follow Vivi inside where she is looking at the old suits of armour and paintings with wide curious eyes, Pam weaving his way between her legs and along the floor like a fluffy snake. They go forward, intent on convincing her to go back to the van with them when Arthur feels a spike in spiritual energy that has him freezing in place. Vivi sees his sudden pale face and she grows concern, Pam moving warily towards Zira who’s lips are pulled back in a snarl. 

“Artie, you okay? What do you sense?” Vivi asked worriedly.

“Spirits.” He muttered just as little purple ghosts appeared. They looked harmless enough, humming a tune between them with soft smiles on their faces. Vivi coos over them while Arthur and Mystery eye them warily. When the ghosts suddenly turn vicious smiles on them Vivi and Pam suddenly realize that just maybe they are a little out of their depth. They take off running down a hallway, Zira in front of Arthur and Mystery behind him with Vivi and Pam bringing up the rear. They all jump or duck when a suit of armour comes alive and swings its sword at them, Zira snarling as she jumps while striking out with her paw to Topel it over.

“We need to get back to the van.” Mystery cries out.

“But we can’t go back the way we came, those ghosts are down there.” Vivi points out.

“Then we’ll find another way.” Zira snaps just as the floor beneath them opens up. They scream in shock that turns into fear as they fall deeper and deeper into the mansions depths. And then Arthur keeps falling while Vivi, Pam, Mystery and Zira don’t. The Dire wolf howls with rage as the door snaps shut, cutting them off from each other and Arthur feels his body go cold with terror because Zira wasn’t there to protect him, she wasn’t there and she promised she always would be. Arthur grunted as he landed on the hard cold ground, lungs struggling to take in a breath from the jarring landing. The sound of something opening has Arthur’s insides freezing, especially when he feels the wave of powerful spiritual energy, energy that was charged with anger and vengeance. 

****** 

Lewis had been sleeping inside the coffin that lay in the bowls of the mansion he’d created. It was the only thing he really wanted to do these days, sleep and forget about his loneliness. It was better to stay asleep and dream of better times than remain awake where there was no Olesia to talk to and no Vivi to love. But Lewis was pulled from the peaceful land of oblivion by the sudden spike in activity in his Dead-beats. The Ghost frowned, wondering what could have them so excited when he heard the sound of something hitting the floor just outside his coffin.

Lewis pushed the door open, floating out to find out what was going on only to pause in shock when his eye sockets caught sight of the bright blonde hair and dazed golden eyes. There was a moment where time seemed to stand still for both parties before the anger and hate flared to life inside Lewis. He felt his flaming pink hair spring into being, felt his locket beating with the desire to hurt and avenge. Lewis watched as Arthur went pale in the face as the blonde felt his negative feelings and emotions fill the air before he was up and running. It sickened Lewis to no end.

“Coward!” He screamed, chasing after his murderer who couldn’t even face him like a man. It was the least he could do after all he’d done to Lewis, to face him and accept his fate. He chased Arthur up into the mansion, eye sockets narrowed and focused on his prey. He didn’t even notice when they passed Mystery, Vivi and Pam, too focused on catching Arthur and his revenge. When they reached a dead end Lewis nearly cheered in victory. There was nowhere left for the traitor to run and Olesia would finally be avenged!

Lewis scowled at the cowering form before lunging, hands outstretched so he could grab the man by the neck and strangle the life out of him. He would have done that too if there wasn’t suddenly a wall of snarling fury standing between them. Despite being dead and having no daemon, Lewis still jerked back in horror at the sight of the wolf daemon standing before him, mind filling with the superstition surrounding the species. He stared at the daemon with wide eye sockets, taking in her pure white fur, long sharp teeth, massive paws and enraged golden eyes. The eyes had something inside Lewis stuttering. He’d only seen one other living being with eyes that colour and he was cowering behind this daemon. And suddenly, Lewis realized he hadn’t seen Zira’s ermine form the whole time, just assuming she was hiding inside Arthur’s clothing. But that wasn’t right because there was no distinctive lump in the man’s clothes signalling where she’d be hiding, only a large snarling wolf standing between them. 

Lewis stood there, unsure of himself because Zira can’t be a wolf when she’d settled as an ermine. Arthur and a wolf didn’t go together, Arthur with a wolf soul wasn’t right. But…maybe it was Lewis reasoned. Wolves belonged to psychopaths, mentally unstable and abused people. If Arthur was willing to kill his best friend then maybe he wasn’t the cowering fool he played. Maybe he truly was a psychopath. The thought brought the anger back and he moved forward, intent on finishing the job only to have what he now knew was Zira lung forward.

Pam had lunged at the ghost of the woman all those years ago but he hadn’t actually aimed to touch her, only scare her. Even in death, daemon stayed clear of spirits in fear that touching them would cause the same reaction in touching another living person. That was why Lewis had moved forward without fear. That was why Lewis was shocked and slightly horrified when Zira made contact with him, slamming her front paws into his chest while her jaws closed around his arm. Lewis jerk away in fright and then shock when a blood curtailing scream rented the air.

Looking up found Arthur collapsed to his knees, eyes wide and glassy with silent tears falling down his face. Zira was ridged where she stood between them, mouth agape and her own eyes glassy. Mystery was by Arthur’s side while Vivi and Pam stood beside Zira, trying to understand and protect their friend at the same time. 

“Arthur, what is it? Speak to me.” Mystery begged the human boy who just stared ahead blankly. Lewis watched, eyes moving to Vivi and feeling a surge of pain at seeing her frightened yet angry face directed at him. He reached out, locket turning the same soft blue as her hair but she pulled away, grabbing Arthur’s arm and dragging him towards the front door. The group followed her but Zira paused, looking back at Lewis with cold yet pain filled golden eyes and Lewis himself shuddered as he watched the distance between her and Arthur grow with no signs of pain. Zira looked at him and only when Arthur and Vivi had left the building did she turn to follow. 

Lewis stood in the window, watched as the van drove off down the road, the ones he used to call family never once looking back. The locket on his chest shuddered, spider-web like cracks running along its surface. What remained of Olesia that sat inside thrummed with a wrongness that left Lewis feeling sick and weak. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he didn’t have the full story on what happened that night, that he was missing something important. Deciding to put his anger and vengeance aside, Lewis vowed that when he saw Arthur next he would confront him on his actions and his changed soul. 

With a tired sigh, Lewis melted from sight into the locket, not realizing that the mansion faded from view as his energy dimmed and weakened. He wouldn’t be able to materialise again on his own, not without help and a massive surge of spiritual energy.


End file.
